Claws (The Rewrite)
by Kindkat
Summary: A (hopefully) better rewrite of Claws. When an old childhood friend of Peter's shows up, it changes both his and Roman's life. When these 2 friends fight over one girl, their inner beasts come out, but so do her claws. Rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

The air was cool as it hit her face. Her hair blew softly behind her, her scent drifting into the wind. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she hauled the box out of the taxi's trunk. A second later she gave the driver a small thank you before turning towards what would be her new home.

"Not much of a house," she spoke to herself as she looked down at the trailer home that she would soon inhabit. Beer bottles were scattered around and the place seemed to be a mess from an outsider's view. "But it's better than being homeless."

* * *

Peter watched as Lynda prepared herself coffee. The woman was nervous yet excited as the smile on her face refused to leave that morning. She'd spent the day cleaning their small living room and trying to make the place look as presentable as possible.

"She'll be here any minute," she said as she poured herself a cup. Peter nodded, unamused at the thought of sharing his already cramped home with another person.

"Yeah, cool," he replied as his hands played with the leather bracelet around his wrist. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited. It just so happened that his own excitement was buried deep, _deep_ down.

"Peter, you know I made a promise. Now that her parents are gone I have to keep it. What's wrong with you? You used to love each other."

"The last time we saw each other we were middle school kids barely hitting puberty." Peter retorted although he chuckled at the memory. He had held the biggest crush on her as a child and gypsies would form bonds that ran deeper than most. Despite the many years that they spent apart he still felt fondness when he thought of her.

"We're gypsies, Peter. We had to go. You know that." He sighed in defeat at her words. She was right. It was simply the gypsy way to get up and go.

"She's here," he spoke, rising from his seat on their beat up couch as he caught her scent in the air. Lynda grinned and opened the door to reveal a short brunette with a box in her arms.

"Ah, should've known you'd smell me coming," she commented as she strode into the small house as if she already owned it. She set her box of belongings down before turning to embrace Lynda.

"Selena it's so good to see you," Lynda greeted as she hugged the girl to her. She was just an inch shorter than she was, but the strength in her hug let her know she was not one to be underestimated. Lynda pulled away and held her at an arm's length, examining her for the first time in nearly six years.

Peter also examined her from afar. The boyish body he remembered was now gone and instead now replaced with one of a woman. Her curves would be the envy of many girls of Hemlock Grove, and knowing how petty high school girls were when it came to envy, they'd certainly hate her. Her hair was longer now, practically reaching her bum in cascading waves. She certainly wasn't what he remembered.

"Hey Sel," Peter finally greeted with a nod towards her. She turned and examined him from head to toe just as he had done to her, a small smirk forming on her pink lips.

"Well, aren't you hairy. That sure is fitting," she joked as she strode up to him and pulled him into her arms. He chuckled at her humor and recalled how she'd always been very blunt and sarcastic, something he had thoroughly enjoyed. His own arms wrapped around her, their unnatural warmths mixing together.

"You look different too," he replied when she pulled away, Her face had lost all traces of the baby fat it once held and in its place where now cheekbones that made her face look nearly fragile. Her green eyes had slightly narrowed pupils that gave her a cat-ish look and light freckles adorned the soft skin of her cheeks. The longer he looked at her the more he felt his old crush slowly creep up, as if seeing her was enough to awaken it.

"You can crash with Peter if you'd like. Otherwise the couch is all yours," Lynda interrupted their moment to announce the sleeping arrangements. The look that crossed Peter's face was enough to let Selena know that he hadn't heard a word about how the sleeping situation would be.

"I'll sleep on the couch. It's just in my nature," she replied with a wink towards her. "Thanks aunt Lynda."

Peter sighed in relief at her words. As much as he loved Selena, because he _did_ love her just as he loved his mother, he wasn't too keen on sharing his already tiny bed. Not to mention the fact that this girl was _hot_ and that would only lead to embarrassing moments in the morning. Meanwhile, his mother simply smiled at their newest family addition. She wasn't blood related, but she was family nonetheless.

The next hour was spent talking about their lives since they had separated. Peter watched as Selena set up a few candles and crystals in a space Lynda had cleared for her, hearing about the ridiculous amount of schools she had attended and how horrible teenage gajes were. When she asked how Hemlock Grove was Peter couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh before letting her know the disturbing details of the town's latest murder.

"So there's a vargulf?" She sat on the opposite end of the tattered sofa, her body sinking into it.

"Not sure. I'll find out when I turn this week," he replied, surprised at how nonchalant she was about the idea of a killer wolf being out there. "By the way, you're going to school with me tomorrow."

Selena groaned and Peter chuckled as her hand turned into a fake gun that she pretended to shoot herself with.

"Already?" she asked incredulously. She had hoped to have a few days to settle in and scout the town.

"Yeah, mom says you should start as soon as possible," he replied knowing exactly how she felt. Switching schools was always the biggest pain in the ass.

"At least I'll have one friend, right?" Her bare foot waved near his face, teasing him as an amused laugh left her. Peter rolled his eyes and pushed it away, amused with her sense of comfort already. It was almost as if they'd never been apart.

"It's more than I had," he replied as he pulled her leg, successfully pulling her entire body towards him. His body leant over, hovering above her as she looked at him with wide eyes at the sudden movement. Her surprise quickly melted away and was instead replaced with a smirk. He grinned at the mischief that sparkled in her eyes and refrained from kissing her then and there, his twelve year old self begging him to finally indulge in that small fantasy.

"Get some sleep. There are some things you'll see tomorrow that'll surprise you," he finally said as he leaned back. The thought of Roman Godfrey, the town upir, popped into his head and worried him for a second. He quickly pushed the thought away, ruffling Selena's hair as he stood.

Selena meowled in annoyance as she brushed her hair out of her face and watched him retreat into his bedroom. A hint of curiosity struck her before the need for sleep came rushing in, causing her to fall asleep exactly where she laid.


	2. Chapter 2

"The bus. _Great_."

Peter chuckled at the sarcasm that dripped from her voice. He knew well how much of a bitch riding a bus could be in a small town. Being new would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention to her and it would also draw it to _him_ despite how much he worked to blend into the crowd ever since arriving. Just as predicted, everyone stared as they hopped onto the ridiculously large vehicle. Selena quickly sat in the first open seat she could find, already annoyed at the amount of attentive stares her presence seemed to bring.

Peter took a seat beside her, making sure to glare at the boys who dared to stare longer. He sat and wrapped a comfortable arm around her, falling into their old ways. She made no remarks about it and instead allowed herself to lean into his side.

"Looks like the werewolf brought his girlfriend," a jock joked a few seats behind him. He mimicked a wolf howl only to have his friends join in. The entire bus laughed at the wild display while Selena merely rolled her eyes at the stupidity.

"I wasn't aware this town was full of this many idiots," she whispered to Peter, her annoyance clear.

"They're worse than you can imagine, babe," Peter chuckled knowing she would reach her limits at some point during the day. She'd always had a low tolerance for stupidity and the school would probably drive her insane. "Just keep your claws in check."

His arm tightened around her as the wolf whistles continued. He didn't necessarily think their assumptions were bad. Annoying? Yes. But not bad. If people thought she was taken then perhaps there would be less teenage boys throwing themselves at her. A part of him always thought they looked good together even as children.

* * *

 _"Here comes the bride, here comes the bride," Destiny sang as Selena emerged from the small trailer dressed in her mother's white dress. It hung loosely, obviously belonging to someone who was at least twice her age. Peter stood next to Destiny wearing his grandfather Nicolae's jacket that was equally as ill-fitting. He was practically drowning in the fabric but the smile on his face was bright as Selena reached him. They both turned towards Destiny who would officiate their so called wedding._

 _"Do you, Peter Rumancek take Selena Camlo to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"_

 _"I do."_

 _"Do you, Selena Camlo take Peter Rumancek to love and to hold, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"_

 _"I do."_

* * *

If Selena thought the stares on the bus were bad then the ones she received at school were ten times worse. She could feel them burning through her back as she waited for Peter to grab his stuff from his locker which was luckily just a few feet away from hers. They had ended up with a few classes together and she was more than happy to have his comforting presence nearby.

"English class," he said as he pulled out the novel they were discussing that week. She nodded and followed him inside the small classroom and took a seat beside him, unaware at the nerves that were building inside of the werewolf. English class was the one class he had with Roman Godfrey and he wasn't too ecstatic over having them meet. There was little to no chance of them _not_ meeting since the upir had taken a sudden interest in him after the latest murder in Hemlock Grove.

"Upir."

The word left her mouth the second he walked in. She recognized the type immediately. Uncannily attractive with a gracefulness that was simply unnatural. His scent was like smoke with just a hint of sweetness to it. Peter watched as she instantly sat up a little straighter as he took the seat to her left, his eyes looking her up and down to examine who exactly had stolen his usual seat besides Peter.

"And you are?" Roman asked as he leaned in her direction. She was new. He would have seen her, hell, he would have slept with her already if she had been a Hemlock Grove resident. A face like that wouldn't have escaped him.

Her head was held high as she turned to him, her head just barely tilting as her disinterest was written plainly on her face. She remained quiet for a moment, the lack of excitement to speak with him immediately causing Roman to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Peter chuckled beside her as he watched the scene with amusement. Roman refused to break eye contact but the usual confidence he held was wavering as his shoulders dropped slightly, unaccustomed to being looked at with little interest.

"Selena." Her reply was short and cold with no friendliness ringing through her tone. She turned away from him the same way one usually looked away from an awful sight and instead looked at the teacher who had just stepped inside.

"I'm Roman. Roman Godfrey."

She gave him a curt nod, showing no interest in his name. He frowned. He was used to girls immediately perking up as soon as they found out he was part of the family that practically owned the town but she didn't indicate that she cared at all. Roman opened his mouth to say something, anything that would draw her attention back to him when the teacher began their lecture, instead leaving him to collect his thoughts.

All throughout class Roman kept his eyes on her. He watched her scribble her notes down, quick but yet neat. She did her best to ignore his burning gaze, refraining from looking his way. She knew boys like him. They wanted to be noticed, to be seen and be told how beautiful they were. She would be damned if she gave him that pleasure.

Meanwhile, everything the teacher said flew right over Peter's head. His own notebook sat untouched in front of him as he was more interested in the girl who sat next to him than whatever English nonsense was being said. He admired Selena. She'd always been a strong girl but being able to pick yourself up and move on after the death of a parent, much less the death of two, was impressive.

Selena caught Peter's eye and smiled warmly, a feeling of home resonating between the two. Roman caught the look and eyed the both of him, his mind already racing to piece things together. Roman was sure he was the only person in Hemlock Grove who was anything resembling of a friend to Peter, so surely the new girl couldn't be one.

He eyed them, quickly glancing over their wardrobe. Peter wore the same tattered jeans, flannel and old leather jacket. Her clothes seemed to be in a slightly better state with some faded black jeans and a fringed suede shirt. They looked like they belonged together, a sense of odd cohesion between the two styles. While Peter's hair looked messy and in need of a wash, hers appeared clean as it cascaded in waves on her right side, revealing a small oddly shaped 'G' tattoo on her neck.

She jumped when a piece of folded up paper flew past her and onto Peter's desk. Roman ignored the teacher's reprimand, his nonchalance evident as he slumped in his seat. Selena took notice of the fact Peter's body had gone rigid at whatever was written on the note and wondered what the upir could have possibly said that would make him so tense. A part of her wanted to dislike the upir, her mind reflecting back on the horrors his kind had inflicted and her instinct telling her to run. But a part of her begged her not to judge him for being born something when she and Peter had both been born into something they hadn't asked to be.

Peter ushered her out of the room as soon as the bell rang, desperate to avoid Roman. They had almost escaped when he sauntered up to them, leaning against the locker next to Peter's.

"Yes, ok?" Peter said through clenched teeth before Roman could get a word out, "let's go, Sel."

Selena complied only to bump into someone by the exit.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she quickly apologized as she took a step back. Her eyes widened in curiosity as she noticed the tremendous height of the girl she had run into and the fact her hands seemed to be wrapped in gauze. She typed away at her phone despite them, an odd glow on her face.

"It's okay," the robotized voice came from her phone. The girl grinned, and Selena couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey Shelly, how are you beautiful?" Peter asked with sincerity. Shelly grinned as she watched Peter's arm wrap protectively around Selena's waist.

"I'm good. New friend?"

"Old friend actually," he chuckled. "Shelly, this is Selena. Selena meet Shelly. She's the best goddamn Godfrey in this place," he commented with a smile. Selena waved happily, glad to have met someone who seemed to have a pure aura surrounding them.

"Roman," Selena whispered as she nudged Peter, alerting him of the incoming boy. His face was blank as he strode towards them and Shelly, a frightening look that unsettled her. Peter quickly said his goodbyes before pulling her out the door and speed walking towards the bus.

"He's scary, isn't he?" Selena chuckled as soon as they sat. "Roman. Roman Godfrey," she mocked, mirroring how he had introduced himself to her earlier. "God, James Bond much?" she laughed, clearly mocking the boy. Peter laughed at her impression.

"Yeah, he's kind of a dick."


End file.
